Outpatient Treatment

Applies to: Anyone who is receiving services for mental illness, a developmental disability, orsubstance abuse on an outpatient basis in the state of Wisconsin, other than from a state-operated facility.

Any patient, or anyone on behalf of the patient, may file a complaint if they feel the patient's rights have been violated. Any complaints must be filed with the facility within 45 calendar days of the event involved or the patient becoming aware of the issue.

We recommend you put your complaint in writing, but verbal complaints are also allowed. The Client Rights Specialist (CRS) will put any oral complaint in writing so it is clear. To find out the name of the facility's or service provider's CRS, contact the facility or service provider directly.

The community grievance procedure(PDF, 17 KB) has a multi-level process which depends on who is paying for the patient's services. If the services are through the county or through a county-contracted or approved provider, the county has a role in the grievance process.

Service providers that do not have a grievance procedure or that need to update their process may use the Model Grievance Procedure and adapt it to their needs.

All community grievance procedures must provide for an appeal to the State Grievance Examiner (SGE) in the department's Client Rights Office. The SGE issues Level III grievance decisions.

If either party to the complaint is not happy with the results, they can appeal to Level IV of the process  which is the Administrator of the department's Division of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services.